Oregon Road Trip

My sister was here last week for a visit.  We did some driving - about 700 miles - while she was here.  We spent one day driving up the Columbia Gorge.  The view is always great.  the photo above is a view of Vista house at Crown Point.  Beacon Rock is in the background. From this viewpoint, you can also see the View Point Inn, although I didn't take a photo this time.  This was the day before it burned.

This is the view east from Crown Point.

The creek at Bridal Veil Falls.

And here is Multnomah Falls.  My sister is waving from the bridge.

Our big trip was to Sisters, Oregon, for the Eighth Annual Fiber Arts Stroll and Outdoor Quilt Show.  Some of the ladies from Gees Bend were there with their quilts.

The whole town is decorated with quilts hung on the sides of the buildings.  Many of the local businesses have quilts inside as well.  The weather was very cooperative this year - it was a pleasant 80 degrees and breezy.  I heard several people say it is commonly over 100 degrees during this event.

I am always on the lookout for designs for Guatemala Bound quilts.  I'm still drawn to log cabins and square-within-a-square type designs.  This quilt was inside The Stitchin Post. I'm sorry I don't have the maker's name.

These four quilts were hung outside on various businesses around town.

We spent the night in Bend.  Here's a view of the river in the main park downtown.

Sunday we headed back to Sisters.  There was a wonderful show of Jean Wells Keenan's quilts hung in the woods at the Five Pine Resort.

And at the Sisters Library we saw the SAQA Oregon exhibit, Oregon: State of Diversity. 

We drove all the way over to the coast to Lincoln City, then up Highway 101 to Canon Beach then home the following day .  We stopped at the Latimer Quilt and Textile Center and the Tillamook cheese factory.  We found a great quilt shop in Wheeler, Creative Fabrics, right next door to a cute gallery, Trillium.  Stop if you're driving that way.  And of course, we had to make a stop at Center Diamond in Canon Beach.  It was quite the quilt tour, a great week, and a fun visit.

Viewer's Choice Award - Rio Patchwork Design

Looks like I'm going to Rio!  Three of my quilts were recently in the Rio Patchwork Design show, which was held in early July in both Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil.  My quilt Fracture won the Viewer's Choice award.  The prize - a trip to Rio for next year's show! Whoo Hoo!

Fracture

(36" w x 55"h)

Fracture, detail

Bramble

(83" w x 61" h)

Bramble, detail

Cavern

(39" w x 66" h)

Cavern, detail

(Photos by Mark Frey)

Misty Morning Sun

The sun just can't seem to shine through here.  It's been a cold, wet spring, thus Misty Morning Sun. Fat Quarter packages (1 1/2 yds. total) are $27 ($30 including shipping by first class post within the U.S.); 1/2 yard packages (3 yds total) are $54 plus actual postage to your location; 1 yard packages (6 yards total) are $108 plus actual postage. Misty Morning Sun is now available for shipping.  This is a limited edition, so not many packs are available. Email me at bonnie@handwerktextiles.com to order. Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal accepted.

Buttons

Van Gogh in My Front Yard

Two Days in Chicago

Earlier in the week of Quilt National, I met two of my Alaskan friends in Chicago.  We had a wonderful two and a half days of visiting museums and dining on fine food.  Above is a view looking out one of the windows at the Museum of Contemporary Art.  We were unfortunately a day early for the Mark Bradford show, but we did get to sneak a peak inside the door where the work was being installed.  I will make a point to look for his work in my travels.  We were treated to the impressive Chicago architecture on our walk back to Millennium Park.

Here is one of the most impressive sights in downtown Chicago: Cloud Gate by sculptor Anish Kapoor, called "The Bean" by most in Chicago.  It is fascinating.  Read about it on Wikipedia.

These beautiful glass domes and mosaic walls are in the Chicago Cultural Center. 

We also stumbled upon Project Onward there.  I bought some wonderful artwork by Adam Hines and David Holt and was lucky enough to meet the artists.  I'm so happy to have these quirky and imaginative pieces of art.

George Steinbrenner by David Holt.

Gloria Stuart by David Holt

Monopoly by Adam Elias Hines

New Mayor Rahm Emanuel by Adam Elias Hines

New Mayor Rahm Emanuel, detail, by Adam Elias Hines

"Crater" Awarded Best of Show, Quilt National 2011

Crater, (81" w x 60" h)

Photos by Mark Frey

I just returned from the opening of Quilt Nationa 2011 at the Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens, Ohio.  I was honored that my quilt, Crater, was named Best of Show!  You can see some photos of the show at Quilt National's Facebook page.  You can purchase the catalog of the exhibition at the Dairy Barn Shop or on Amazon.  The show will be on view at the Dairy Barn through September 5th.

I had been notified that I'd won a prize but they wouldn't say which one.  When I walked in the Dairy Barn on Friday afternoon, my quilt was right in the middle, the first one to be seen.  Kathleen Dawson, the director of Quilt National, was standing right there.  I said, Gee, I got such a great space!  She said, For a reason, then pointed me to a sign on the wall that listed all the prizewinners.  I was all choked up and teary-eyed. I was in Quilt National in 1987, then had 10 rejections over 22 years before I made it into QN09.  It feels great to be in two shows in a row, and to have such a wonderful recognition of my work.  Persistence pays! 

Crater, detail